Draft Regulation 18 Sandwell Local Plan
Healthcare Infrastructure
6.20 This policy sets out the requirements for the provision of health infrastructure to serve the residents of new developments in support of Policy SHW1.
Policy SHW2 – Healthcare Infrastructure
- New healthcare facilities should be:
- well-designed and complement and enhance neighbourhood services and amenities;
- well-served by public transport infrastructure, walking and cycling facilities and directed to a town centre appropriate in role and scale to the proposed development, and its intended catchment area, in accordance with Policies SCE3 and SCE4. Proposals located outside centres must be justified in terms of relevant policies such as Policy SCE6, where applicable;
- wherever possible, located to address accessibility gaps in terms of the standards set out in Policy SHO3, particularly where a significant amount of new housing is proposed; and
- where possible, co-located with a mix of compatible community services on a single site.
- Existing primary and secondary healthcare infrastructure and services will be protected, unless it has been demonstrated that the loss or partial loss of a facility or site arises from a wider public service transformation plan that requires investment in modern, fit for purpose infrastructure and facilities. New or improved healthcare facilities and services will be provided in accordance with requirements agreed between Sandwell Council and local health organisations.
- Proposals for major residential developments of ten units or more must be assessed against the capacity of existing healthcare facilities and / or services as set out in local development documents. Where the demand generated by the residents of the new development would have unacceptable impacts upon the capacity of these facilities, developers will be required to contribute to the provision or improvement of such services, in line with the requirements and calculation methods set out in local development documents.
- Where it is not possible to address such provision through planning conditions, a planning agreement or planning obligation may be required.
- In the first instance, infrastructure contributions will be sought to deal with relevant issues on the site or in its immediate vicinity. Where this is not possible, however, any contribution will be used to support offsite provision of healthcare infrastructure and / or related services.
- The effects of the obligations on the financial viability of development may be a relevant consideration.
Justification
6.21 Meeting Sandwell's future housing needs will have an impact on existing healthcare infrastructure and generate demand for both extended and new facilities across the Plan area, as well as impacting upon service delivery as population growth results in additional medical interventions in the population. Such facilities need to be in locations that support wider aims of supporting centres and of ensuring accessibility by a range of sustainable and inclusive forms of transport.
6.22 Health services in Sandwell are currently experiencing limitations on their physical and operational capacity, which inhibit their ability to respond to the area's health needs.
6.23 Sandwell Council and its partners, including other healthcare infrastructure providers, have a critical role to play in delivering high-quality services and ensuring essential healthcare infrastructure amenities and facilities are maintained, improved and, where necessary, expanded[112]. Healthcare infrastructure planning is inevitably an on-going process, and the Council will continue to work closely with these partners and the development industry to assess and meet existing and emerging healthcare infrastructure needs.
6.24 As Sandwell grows and changes, social and community facilities must be developed to meet the changing needs of the region's diverse communities. This will in turn mean that new improved and expanded healthcare facilities will be required. It is proposed to support and work with the NHS and other health organisations to ensure the development of health facilities where needed in new development areas. Where appropriate, these will be included in Local Development Documents and masterplans. It is also proposed to explore the co-location of health and other community facilities such as community centres, libraries and sport and recreation facilities.
6.25 Funding for many healthcare infrastructure projects will be delivered from mainstream NHS sources, but for some types of infrastructure, an element of this funding may also include contributions from developers. This may relate to the provision of physical infrastructure, such as premises, or social infrastructure, such as the delivery of additional services. These contributions will be secured through planning agreements or planning obligations, in line with the relevant regulations in operation at the time; these are currently the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended). For larger sites that generate the need for new physical infrastructure, delivery will initially be sought on-site or in the site's immediate vicinity. Where this is not possible, or where the contributions will be required to support additional healthcare infrastructure at existing or permissioned new facilities, such provision will be in alternative locations that are accessible to the site. Any new facilities will need to be provided at locations that meet the wider aims of the Policy of supporting centres and of ensuring accessibility by a range of sustainable and inclusive forms of transport.
6.26 In establishing the need for and level of any developer contribution, residential developments will be assessed against the ability of nearby primary, secondary and community healthcare provision to be delivered without being compromised by demand from additional residents. Assessment of the capacity of existing healthcare facilities to meet the demand generated by residents of new development uses an established method adopted by the Group Integrated Care System (ICS). Applicants should consult the ICS in advance of the submission of a planning application where a significant amount of housing is to be provided. For strategic sites, an application of this methodology has identified no requirement for on-site provision for new health facilities. Where there is a requirement for off-site provision this is set out in details of site allocations and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
6.27 The formula used for calculating contributions for will be as follows:
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Primary Care:
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Secondary Care:
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Build costs will be updated on an annual basis and the formula will be reviewed when required by changes in NHS practice or significant changes in build or operational costs
6.28 The Viability and Delivery Study provides evidence that greenfield sites and most brownfield sites can sustain the full range of planning obligations required. However, the Viability and Delivery Study also indicates that, depending on the extent of other planning obligations required, such contributions may not be viable on some sites. Where it can be proved that it is not viable for a housing developer to fund all its own healthcare needs, alternative funding sources will be sought.
[112] The infrastructure strategies of these partner organisations have helped inform this policy.